What appears to be a government clampdown on illegal sand mining has drawn sharp criticism from local truck drivers and brick manufacturers. Several truck owners have had their vehicles impounded, excavation machinery has been confiscated, and arrests have been made. The affected vehicle owners claim they were unfairly targeted without prior warning or explanation.
Two weeks ago, a group calling themselves the Truck Owners and Brick Manufacturers Concerned Group marched to the Thulamela Local Municipality and handed over a memorandum of grievances to the mayor, Sarah Rambuda. The protest was supported by more than 50 truck drivers and brickmakers.
Guided by local traffic officers, the march was peaceful and caused no traffic disruptions.
The group's spokesperson, Mr Daniel Mulaudzi, said they had not been consulted before the police had swooped in and impounded their vehicles. "We have been working here for many years and were never told about the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). We have never heard of this department before. We are surprised that they are now arresting us, saying we are mining sand, which is not true because we buy sand from traditional leaders," he said.
Mulaudzi said the group wanted to be allowed to continue working as before the intervention by the DMRE. "We are ready to fight them head-on as we have a constitutional right to create jobs for ourselves," he said.
Although not officially confirmed, the crackdown may form part of Operation Vula Umgodi, a national effort launched in November 2023 to combat illegal mining and related crimes. The operation runs until 31 May 2025 and is being conducted in seven provinces, including Limpopo.
According to a recent parliamentary presentation, the operation is a joint initiative involving the SAPS, DMRE, Department of Home Affairs and the SANDF. It has been allocated R1.77 million for asset acquisition and the deployment of 4,302 personnel over 18 months, with the goal of stabilising high-density illicit mining areas to reduce revenue losses, environmental damage, and criminal activity linked to organised syndicates.
In South Africa, the removal of sand from riverbeds and similar areas is illegal without authorisation. The activity is regulated under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act of 2002 (MPRDA), which requires compliance with environmental and land-use planning laws. The type of permission required depends on the scale and duration of the mining operation.
However, Mulaudzi insists their protest is not against regulation. "All we want to know is where the law enforcers were all these years while we've been buying sand from traditional leaders and selling it to our customers," he said.
The group's memorandum demands a government engagement to explain what the DMRE is and how it operates. It also called for the immediate release of impounded trucks and awareness campaigns before laws are enforced. "We demand that the government should hold awareness campaigns before implementing laws which are targeting poor communities to continue being poor," the memorandum reads.
Mulaudzi said that local brickmakers had been unable to operate because of a lack of sand. "How can our own government expect formerly disadvantaged communities to pay R100,000 to get their impounded trucks back?" he asked.
The concerned group's next step is to march to the DMRE offices in Polokwane. "We have already arranged buses to carry our members to Polokwane for the march. We will finalise a date and apply for permission to stage the protest," Mulaudzi said. The march is provisionally planned for 21 May.